[He isn’t texting back and Wendy hates this but she can’t double-text. Doing so would make her look too needy. Which - sure, she is - but she feels like a total idiot for saying way too much. Even though he asked her questions in the first place. What did he expect her to do - not answer at all? Lie? She’s trying not to do the latter anymore. He has no idea how difficult this is for her.
What would Steven say in a situation like this? He’d probably just laugh and make a joke about her poor communication skills before getting serious and dishing out some actual, useful advice. Maybe you’re coming on too strong. Some guys like that but you need to watch yourself. Gauge the situation, you know? She knows. She’s trying here. Being a decent human being is a lot of hard work
She goes through the rest of her day with her phone next to her on the desk. Screen side up so she can catch it light up with a notification out of the corner of her eye. Every time she gets one she drops what she’s doing and clamors to check - but it’s always work-related. Never him.
Of course it isn’t him.
Did she fuck up or what? It sure seems like she did.
She decides to take a chance and actually sends something after the wait and the worry both become too much:]
Do you want to talk? In person. I’m just finishing up now. I can come find you.
[She sets the phone down, then picks it up again a split second later.]
[ there are three people in this world that august knows, but only one of them he is in constant communication with. with that said, there's the assumption it's wendy — he shakes off blood from his gloves — and he's right. august replies a moment later. ]
I'd like that, actually.
[ because speaking to each other in person, he thinks, is much better than through text. ]
[So glad she’s leaving her office in the biggest hurry… and then turning right back around. She can’t go empty-handed. And she can’t go dressed like this. That’s just asking for trouble. Under the radar - that’s what she’s supposed to be. More cautious. But she’s so excited that he’s responded to her and wants to see her and maybe she can fix this.
August doesn’t need to tell her where he is. She just knows. It’s easy to triangulate these things with phones and other devices, and she’s become quite the professional. It doesn’t take long to find his location and get there. She has her shortcuts.
When she arrives it’s with her hair pulled back and out of her face, dressed in the most comfortable clothes plus a jacket. Sometimes it gets chilly. She looks tired - she isn’t bothering to hide it from her face. And she’s got a big thermos in hand. What’s in it? That’s for her to know and him to find out.]
[ no alcohol means august has to keep his mind off things in other ways, and he does have another which doesn't involve heavy drinking: a fight. there's no one he meets so far beyond monsters with sharp teeth and deadly claws. pulling the trigger of his weapons are good enough so long as there is enough to shoot. it's almost mindless the way he keeps the bullets flying to its numerous targets.
it's after august responds to wendy that he ceases unless there's one that runs towards him. during the break between, he tries to clean up any blood from his coat. it may need more than a dry clean by the time he returns home, the gunslinger thinks to himself as he sets his gun aside.
almost, that is. he nearly pulls it out again when he hears soft footsteps before letting out a sigh of relief. ]
Wendy. [ he says as a greeting, sliding the gun back in its holster before facing her. hands pin the edges of his coat as he straightens it. ] My apologies for the mess. They seem starved, these beings.
Hi August. [He doesn’t see it, but she smirks when he nearly pulls his gun on her. So jumpy. It’s gone by the time he turns to face her properly.]
No need to apologize - I understand. Are you hurt?
[The thermos is instantly tucked under her arm and she rifles through her jacket pockets. Of course she noticed the leftover traces of blood. Her eyes went straight to them. Nothing gets past her.]
I always carry some supplies. Just in case. [See - bandage rolls.]
[ how kind of her to bring suppies — even when she always does. it's kind of her to share them rather, to which he shakes his head at. ]
Oh, no. I'm well. They aren't however.
[ they as in the creatures that roam around in the darkness of the wilds, ready to pounce for prey. fortunately he isn't and will never be — unless it's guilt that consumes him again, but he doesn't even think about it while wendy is in his presence.
she is a wonderful distraction after all. even wiuth certain revelations. ]
[ "No funny business" — that's, in a way, how their casual relationship starts. right? how he's someone that she should report. someone who shouldn't be here, and yet they've already become intimate since then. that is why, with a shake of his head yet again, he takes the thermos and opens it. the scent is — ]
— Oolong tea. Haven't had this in a while, or any really. Thank you.
[ it's not lady grey, but he appreciates a large variety of tea in the world. hell, he has stock of many flavors back home. it's why he tips it and takes a few sips from her peace offering. ]
... and it's good as well. [ anything is good when one hasn't had a specific version of it in a while. off to a great start; he hands the thermos back to wendy as an offer for her to drink as well. ] I must confess, the story about your pet still disturbs me.
[Wendy knows a million ways to kill a person (or at the very least incapacitate them). Plenty of said methods untraceable until it’s far too late for them to recover. He’ll know that - once she spills the rest of her guts. And he’ll probably hate her even more for it. That’s what this whole talk is bound to be like isn’t it? The ugliest kind of show & tell session where she leaves herself in the most vulnerable of states.]
‘Course. I found some at the office so - I figured I should bring it. [They don’t get paid. They’re just allowed to live, excluded from the trials and the never-ending repetitive cycle of horrors found there. Sometimes they are rewarded with other things - simple things like tea.]
Good. I’m glad. [A slight smile as she takes the thermos back and takes her own sip. See - not poisoned. Otherwise she wouldn’t. The indirect kiss is also nice, but that’s a shy little personal thought for herself and herself only.]
I was just a kid. Kids do weird shit. I thought… it was sick, and I was only trying to figure out how to make it better. [A pause.] Can I sit? [She gestures to the log he’s currently sitting on with her free hand.] Or we can move. Find someplace comfier. I’m sure there’s a spot around here somewhere.
[Robert is so persuasive. She should take notes for future reference. Might help her skills in the long run. But maybe he is right and she shouldn't be staying in the lab longer than totally necessary...
Once a workaholic, always a workaholic. That's Wendy.
She takes a few minutes to wrap up what she's doing, texts him for details - he wanted her to come out, so she needs to figure out where exactly - and then she's hanging up her lab coat and grabbing her bag to leave. No change of clothes. She's kinda upset about that. But she doesn't exactly plan ahead often...
So yeah. Here she is, looking a bit tired after a long day but cheerful regardless!]
Hi - sorry! Hope I didn't keep you waiting too long.
[Muldoon spends most of his time working, or thinking about work. It's just everyone else who isn't allowed to be a workaholic. He knows how to make sure everyone else takes care of themselves, he's just no good at doing that himself.
The place he's directed her to is a nice bar. It's not too loud, but it is pretty busy. Luckily he's pretty easy to spot, sitting at the bar and nursing a whiskey while he waits. Besides, aside from his ID badge he's still in his uniform. Looks like Wendy wasn't the only one who came straight from work.
When he hears her, he looks up from his drink and turns to her properly.]
[Oh good. He looks like he just came from work too - so she doesn’t feel like the odd person out. Plain business casual for her with sensible shoes. If you didn’t know any better she’d seem like just another office worker or something. Nothing that truly stands out here. Her work ID is hidden away in her bag because it has to be.
Wendy slips into the seat beside his, elbows leaning on the bar top as she gets comfortable.]
Once you get used to things again, you'll be better for having had a break.
[It's something he's sure of. Especially for someone who spends her days pushing her brain to the limit. Taking a break gives her mind and body time to recover from everything she's undoubtedly putting it through.
He does see how eagerly she takes a drink, though.]
[Wendy just nods, making a face as she doesn’t look at him directly. He’s so zen all the time - how does he do it? And can she get some? Honestly.]
I guess. [A shrug. She keeps her hands on the bottle as it sits in front of her.] Remember when I said I worried about things burning down while I was gone? [The softest snort. There it is.]
[It's difficult not to be zen most of the time. Really he prefers those times when he's not so relaxed. But compared to hunting, or being hunted, things like this really aren't anything to worry about.]
Which means that other people caused issues, [he points out.
His lips press into a thin line, then, because he suspects he already knows the answer to the question he's about to ask. And he already disapproves.]
You are making them clean up their own messes, aren't you?
I am absolutely not. I'm serious. One party went so hard it became a case study they keep on file because we let the clowns loose during it and things got really out of hand.
Sure thing.
It would've made way more sense for you to come to me than have me walk across the building in a heightened state of anxiety but sure. I'll be right over. Better not be.
Wait that's what happened with the clowns? I heard about that. No way.
Yeah sure thing Alan let me just walk right out of my lab with chemicals I swiped from my own inventory without using the proper documentation. No - you come to me and you deal with it. I can only fudge so many forms.
How dare you capslock at me. [All the mock offense in her tone.] I could just tell you to turn around and go right back downstairs to your dungeon if I really wanted to.
[ CLACK. The phone slips out of his hand and hits the floor before he answers. ]
It's not a dungeon and please don't make me turn around. It's so hard to navigate out of there. It's an ever-changing labyrinth meant to keep me caged in. [ Hard to tell if he's joking or not. The delivery was dry. ] Did they change the lighting up here?
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
for @brinkman
[He isn’t texting back and Wendy hates this but she can’t double-text. Doing so would make her look too needy. Which - sure, she is - but she feels like a total idiot for saying way too much. Even though he asked her questions in the first place. What did he expect her to do - not answer at all? Lie? She’s trying not to do the latter anymore. He has no idea how difficult this is for her.
What would Steven say in a situation like this? He’d probably just laugh and make a joke about her poor communication skills before getting serious and dishing out some actual, useful advice. Maybe you’re coming on too strong. Some guys like that but you need to watch yourself. Gauge the situation, you know? She knows. She’s trying here. Being a decent human being is a lot of hard work
She goes through the rest of her day with her phone next to her on the desk. Screen side up so she can catch it light up with a notification out of the corner of her eye. Every time she gets one she drops what she’s doing and clamors to check - but it’s always work-related. Never him.
Of course it isn’t him.
Did she fuck up or what? It sure seems like she did.
She decides to take a chance and actually sends something after the wait and the worry both become too much:]
Do you want to talk? In person.
I’m just finishing up now. I can come find you.
[She sets the phone down, then picks it up again a split second later.]
No pressure or anything. :)
[There. Hopefully that works.]
no subject
I'd like that, actually.
[ because speaking to each other in person, he thinks, is much better than through text. ]
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I’ll see you soon.
[So glad she’s leaving her office in the biggest hurry… and then turning right back around. She can’t go empty-handed. And she can’t go dressed like this. That’s just asking for trouble. Under the radar - that’s what she’s supposed to be. More cautious. But she’s so excited that he’s responded to her and wants to see her and maybe she can fix this.
August doesn’t need to tell her where he is. She just knows. It’s easy to triangulate these things with phones and other devices, and she’s become quite the professional. It doesn’t take long to find his location and get there. She has her shortcuts.
When she arrives it’s with her hair pulled back and out of her face, dressed in the most comfortable clothes plus a jacket. Sometimes it gets chilly. She looks tired - she isn’t bothering to hide it from her face. And she’s got a big thermos in hand. What’s in it? That’s for her to know and him to find out.]
Not sneaking up on you. Don’t flip. It’s just me.
no subject
it's after august responds to wendy that he ceases unless there's one that runs towards him. during the break between, he tries to clean up any blood from his coat. it may need more than a dry clean by the time he returns home, the gunslinger thinks to himself as he sets his gun aside.
almost, that is. he nearly pulls it out again when he hears soft footsteps before letting out a sigh of relief. ]
Wendy. [ he says as a greeting, sliding the gun back in its holster before facing her. hands pin the edges of his coat as he straightens it. ] My apologies for the mess. They seem starved, these beings.
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No need to apologize - I understand. Are you hurt?
[The thermos is instantly tucked under her arm and she rifles through her jacket pockets. Of course she noticed the leftover traces of blood. Her eyes went straight to them. Nothing gets past her.]
I always carry some supplies. Just in case. [See - bandage rolls.]
no subject
Oh, no. I'm well. They aren't however.
[ they as in the creatures that roam around in the darkness of the wilds, ready to pounce for prey. fortunately he isn't and will never be — unless it's guilt that consumes him again, but he doesn't even think about it while wendy is in his presence.
she is a wonderful distraction after all. even wiuth certain revelations. ]
I'd like to talk about our last discussion.
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Ah - there it is. Just as expected. She kinda freezes up a little at first, but nods her head.]
Sure. I was hoping we could. [A grimace.] Isn’t exactly the kind of thing you can talk about over texts…
[She takes a step closer, holds out the thermos for him to take.] Brought you some tea. No funny business. I’ll drink some too if you aren’t sure.
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— Oolong tea. Haven't had this in a while, or any really. Thank you.
[ it's not lady grey, but he appreciates a large variety of tea in the world. hell, he has stock of many flavors back home. it's why he tips it and takes a few sips from her peace offering. ]
... and it's good as well. [ anything is good when one hasn't had a specific version of it in a while. off to a great start; he hands the thermos back to wendy as an offer for her to drink as well. ] I must confess, the story about your pet still disturbs me.
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‘Course. I found some at the office so - I figured I should bring it. [They don’t get paid. They’re just allowed to live, excluded from the trials and the never-ending repetitive cycle of horrors found there. Sometimes they are rewarded with other things - simple things like tea.]
Good. I’m glad. [A slight smile as she takes the thermos back and takes her own sip. See - not poisoned. Otherwise she wouldn’t. The indirect kiss is also nice, but that’s a shy little personal thought for herself and herself only.]
I was just a kid. Kids do weird shit. I thought… it was sick, and I was only trying to figure out how to make it better. [A pause.] Can I sit? [She gestures to the log he’s currently sitting on with her free hand.] Or we can move. Find someplace comfier. I’m sure there’s a spot around here somewhere.
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warning lower the volume
what if i don’t tho
but ur ears??
no :)
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for @allbedestroyed
[Robert is so persuasive. She should take notes for future reference. Might help her skills in the long run. But maybe he is right and she shouldn't be staying in the lab longer than totally necessary...
Once a workaholic, always a workaholic. That's Wendy.
She takes a few minutes to wrap up what she's doing, texts him for details - he wanted her to come out, so she needs to figure out where exactly - and then she's hanging up her lab coat and grabbing her bag to leave. No change of clothes. She's kinda upset about that. But she doesn't exactly plan ahead often...
So yeah. Here she is, looking a bit tired after a long day but cheerful regardless!]
Hi - sorry! Hope I didn't keep you waiting too long.
no subject
The place he's directed her to is a nice bar. It's not too loud, but it is pretty busy. Luckily he's pretty easy to spot, sitting at the bar and nursing a whiskey while he waits. Besides, aside from his ID badge he's still in his uniform. Looks like Wendy wasn't the only one who came straight from work.
When he hears her, he looks up from his drink and turns to her properly.]
Not long at all. What will you have?
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Wendy slips into the seat beside his, elbows leaning on the bar top as she gets comfortable.]
Just a beer. [A slight hand wave.] I’m not picky.
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Once she's set with a drink of her own, he sips his whiskey and turns to her.]
How have things been?
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Been pretty tough getting back into the swing of things at the office but… I’m trying. It’s a work in progress.
[She chuckles a little, shakes her head. Then she’s taking a hearty chug of her beer. Someone needs it today.]
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[It's something he's sure of. Especially for someone who spends her days pushing her brain to the limit. Taking a break gives her mind and body time to recover from everything she's undoubtedly putting it through.
He does see how eagerly she takes a drink, though.]
Hard day?
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I guess. [A shrug. She keeps her hands on the bottle as it sits in front of her.] Remember when I said I worried about things burning down while I was gone? [The softest snort. There it is.]
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Which means that other people caused issues, [he points out.
His lips press into a thin line, then, because he suspects he already knows the answer to the question he's about to ask. And he already disapproves.]
You are making them clean up their own messes, aren't you?
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@because
I don't buy it. I think you're pulling my leg.
I'll keep that in mind. Put a pin it.
I'm fairly good at asking the right questions.
Just need to find out a few things first.
You'll survive. Meet me at the lab.
I can whip something up for you in a jiffy.
Nothing too hard. Promise.
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Sure thing.
It would've made way more sense for you to come to me than have me walk across the building in a heightened state of anxiety but sure. I'll be right over.
Better not be.
[ BRB going to lab ]
no subject
I heard about that.
No way.
Yeah sure thing Alan let me just walk right out of my lab with chemicals I swiped from my own inventory without using the proper documentation.
No - you come to me and you deal with it.
I can only fudge so many forms.
[SIGH]
no subject
YEAH YEAH.
I'm coming. I really SHOULDN'T BE but I am.
The rest of you and your damn forms. I don't think I've ever filled one out myself.
Can this be an actual phone call? I'm not risking walking into a wall on the way there if you say something else.
no subject
Ring ring, bitch.]
How dare you capslock at me. [All the mock offense in her tone.] I could just tell you to turn around and go right back downstairs to your dungeon if I really wanted to.
no subject
It's not a dungeon and please don't make me turn around. It's so hard to navigate out of there. It's an ever-changing labyrinth meant to keep me caged in. [ Hard to tell if he's joking or not. The delivery was dry. ] Did they change the lighting up here?
no subject
They didn't. You're just in the middle of a total freakout. Want me to meet you halfway somewhere? Bring you back here?
no subject
Uh- I- [ Where is he? ] Yeah. Yeah, that would be good. Thank you.
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